The Legend of L
by AeroJester203
Summary: When the Golden Goddesses were searching for someone to take up the Master Sword and the title "Hero of Time", all that they knew was that he would be a green-clad hero. They didn't know that they would have to search another world for him. AU crossover story. Link is still here, so don't worry! Inspired by "Brawl in the Family: Luigi's Holiday Vacation"! ON HIATUS TIL MUSE RETURNS
1. Prologue: A Different Hero

**This is an idea that I came up with based off of this comic:  
brawlinthefamily dot keenspot dot com/2012/12/21/457-luigis-holiday-vacation/**

**I'm obviously going to add more to the story, and maybe make some changes depending on different things, but I wanted to give credit where credit was due.**

**Also, know that I am ****_not_**** dropping For the Mission. This is just a side project that I'm going to be doing whenever I get writer's block for FtM.**

* * *

Prologue: A Different Hero

Link ran to the Temple of Time. Panting as he looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed, he ran to its massive entrance and heaved to push the door open.

"Look! That podium over there!" A fairy rushed over and examined it. "There are three hollows, and an inscription!"

Link nodded at Navi, his guide and companion for many a day now, as he examined the Hylian script.

'Ye who owns 3 Spiritual Stones  
'Stand with the Ocarina of Time  
'And play the Song of Time'

Link re-read it in his mind and nodded before taking a step back and putting the Ocarina of Time entrusted to him by Princess Zelda to his lips. The song he had learned in her dream message upon receiving it still rang clearly through his mind. The melody echoed throughout the sacred hall, and three lights, green, red and blue, formed from Link's chest and materialized into the Spiritual Stones.

They circled above his head for a moment before they took their place on the altar and the massive Triforce symbol set above the stone door behind the podium glimmered a bright golden color before the door rumbled and slid open, the doors sliding into the walls.

Wasting no time, Link rushed into the next room with Navi close by. Under a solitary light, at the top of a small staircase, a long sword was set in a stone that had the Triforce symbol etched into it.

Navi rushed forward, "Link, isn't that…?!" After she got a closer look, she hovered around it, "It's that legendary blade… The Master Sword!"

Link nodded. He knew what he had to do. The blade that was meant to vanquish evil. By collecting the stones, he should have proven his worth to wield it. He stepped up the stairs almost reverently, and he had to step onto the stone pedestal housing the blade to properly grip the hilt. He took a deep breath and pulled.

Nothing.

Link looked down. The sword was still firmly in place. Maybe he hadn't put enough effort into it. He firmly rooted his feet to the stone and pulled with all his might.

Not even a single sign of budging.

Link pulled even harder, trying to make the Master Sword come out of its stone sheath. The Great Deku Tree, practically his father, had _died_ to give Link a chance for this! He _had _to take up the sword!

Soon, it became too much for his twelve-year-old body, his grip broke and he fell back, barely managing to catch himself before falling all the way down the stairs leading to the pedestal. He pulled himself back to his feet and looked at the sword, panting from the effort of trying to pull it out.

"Why…?" He panted. Why wouldn't the sword move for him?! How was he supposed to stop the forces of evil now?

**_You don't._**

Link straightened up in an instant, his instincts trying to pinpoint where the voice had come from.

**_It was our best choice, but it seems you're not meant to inherit the title, "Hero of Time…"_**

Link was about to ask Navi if she was hearing that too, but the Song of Time rang out amidst the small chamber. Link looked around as the sound of clocks ticking surrounded him, and then all went dark.

* * *

In an ethereal realm, four women stood, looking down at an image of the now empty chamber of the Master Sword. One of them, the silver-haired but youthful Goddess of Time shook her head regretfully.

"I was so certain that he was the one to take up the Master Sword."

A blue-haired goddess tilted her head thoughtfully, "If it's not meant to be him, then whom…?"

"Maybe if _somebody_ could've been a little more specific with their description." A red-haired goddess said.

The Goddess of Time crossed her arms, "I'm just a deity, unlike you three 'Golden Goddesses.' I sent what I saw to the descendant of Hylia. We're just lucky that I can allow us another chance."

Resting her chin on her hand, the green-haired goddess chimed in for the first time. "Who else could it be? There are plenty of 'green-clad' people in Kokiri Forest, but any of my children of the forest will die if they leave their sanctuary… Any ideas, Nayru?"

"I'm not sure, Farore… Perhaps we're looking in the wrong places…?"

As the two of them tried to find a way out, something they hadn't accounted for, the red-haired goddess spoke up, "Maybe this world has nobody that can be the Hero of Time."

The other three goddesses looked at her in shock, Farore started, "Din-!"

Din threw her hands up, "What? It's a possibility. That Link kid was our best bet since he took the Great Deku Tree's quest and wore green and gathered the Spiritual Stones, and he wasn't it. Who else could there be?"

Nayru glanced at the image of the Master Sword pensively. "It certainly is a possibility… Then we'll have to look elsewhere."

Din raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. If this world has no one worthy to wield the Master Sword, we'll have to search other worlds," Nayru clarified. "We three goddesses created this world. I'm sure we can manage the feat of looking to other worlds if we combine our powers. Let's pray to Hylia that we find the right one. Goddess of Time, we'll be counting on you to bring whomever we find to our world."

The Goddess of Time nodded, and the three Golden Goddesses joined hands, closing their eyes as they concentrated their power. Their hair started glowing in their own colors before they opened their eyes. The glow faded from their hair and transferred to their eyes, the rest of their bodies being bathed in a golden aura. The Goddess of Time focused on trying to link with their sight so she could pull whoever they saw into their realm.

Seeing through the Goddess' eyes proved tricky. She saw plenty of green, but none of it centered around a person. The future was never the Goddess of Time's best area; she had only gotten a vague picture of the hero meant to save Hyrule. She knew he was definitely Hylian, or appearing so, at least, and that he was wearing green clothes.

Soon, something seemed to catch the Golden Goddess' eyes. A green-clad person next to a red-clad one. They seemed to be traveling across a land, defeating many enemies along the way.

"The tall one," Farore intoned, her voice seeming to echo with her power, "Could he be the one?"

Din's voice was strained, "He'd better be. We've consumed most of our power to locate him."

Nayru narrowed her glowing blue eyes, "Goddess of Time! Find a period where he is alone and then bring him over! We'll sustain the portal until you do, but hurry!"

An image of the scene that the Goddesses saw became visible above the image of the Master Sword, which changed to show Kokiri Forest. The Goddess of Time nodded and went in the center of the Goddess' and reached her hands through the portal.

Using her own powers, she went further back in time than the scene she saw, searching for a time when the green-clad man was all alone.

* * *

Luigi sat in his favorite chair in his home, letting out a sigh. Mario hadn't returned his calls in over a week. He was probably on another adventure, leaving Luigi to just sit around without much to do.

Heaving another sigh at being left alone, he looked up to the sky, "I wanna be a great plumber like my brother, Mario." More like, he wanted to be a great man, but he'd never get over his embarrassment if Mario happened upon his wish at Star Hill.

Getting up, Luigi was about to call it a night and lay down with his favorite book before going to sleep, but his clock chimed. He looked and saw that it read ten o' clock. Funny, he could've sworn it was twenty till…

Then, to his horror, the clock's hands started moving on their own, speeding along until it stopped at eleven o' clock. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, then looked at the clock again. Still eleven.

He laughed nervously. Maybe he's been zoning out and the time just got away from him. Then his eyes widened as the clock's minute hand started jumping past ten minutes by the second.

He started stepping away, "Then again, maybe I should get some sleep, and I can take the clock into the shop tomorrow. Heh heh… Yeah, that'sagoodidea!" He turned and started speed walking to his room. Right as he was about to reach the doorway, the clock chimed again, signifying midnight. Luigi turned and looked around the foyer nervously. Then he slapped his face, trying to clear the anxiety.

"Alright, Luigi, get a hold of yourself. Nothing spooky's happening; it's just a broken clock. Get some shut-eye, you can take it to the shop in the morning. Right, nothing haaaaaappening…" Right as he was about to turn, he saw that the sky outside his window was pitch black, as if it were really midnight.

Luigi shook a bit, "Okay, now I'm spooked."

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand was placed on his shoulder from the doorway behind him. He screamed as he was pulled backwards, and then he blacked out.

* * *

Luigi's head was muddled. He felt like he couldn't move a muscle. Dimly, he registered that there was the smell of grass where he was. He felt something prod his side and grumbled slightly.

"I think he's still alive…" A tiny voice whispered. "Poke him again to be sure."

He felt the same object poke him in the face, and he opened one eye, but everything was hazy, so he closed it again. A different voice spoke to him, "Helloooo? Mister?"

The object poked him in the face again, and he gave a half-hearted wave, trying to clear it out as he strained and pushed himself to a sitting position. From there he rubbed his eyes and said, "I'm up, I'm up… What are you doing here?"

"This is my secret special place. What are _you_ doing here, mister? Are you lost? You shouldn't fall asleep out here; you'll turn into a Stalfos."

Luigi shook his head in confusion. Many of those words didn't make sense to him. Hadn't he just fainted in his home? He opened his eyes and saw the grass he was sitting on. Already, he was beginning to panic. He looked around and saw trees everywhere, a large tree stump in front of an even larger building, which appeared to be a temple of some sort. He turned and saw a twelve-year-old girl with green hair and green clothes looking curiously at him and holding a stick. Behind her was a good-sized labyrinth. Hovering next to her was a glowing ball of light with fairy wings.

Luigi could only stammer, "Wh-where am I…?"

* * *

**Short prologue, unlike the one from my first story (*cough* five parts *cough*). Anyway, please drop a review to let me know your thoughts on the story. They ****_sustain my writing life foooorce…_**** *Insert zombie groans***

**(LOL JK, not a zombie. :P)**

**-AJ 203**


	2. Chapter 1: The Children of the Forest

Chapter 1: The Children (and Adult) of the Forest

The fairy hovered forward, "You're in the Lost Woods, specifically in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Normal people shouldn't be able to find their way this deep in the woods."

He stood up a bit shakily, "I-I don't…"

After he stood to his full height, the girl marveled at him with wonder, "Whoa! You're giant! Are you an adult, mister? I had only heard stories of those from the Great Deku Tree!"

"The Great Deku Tree!" The fairy exclaimed. "We can take him over to see him! Even if he can't stay, he should be able to help you find a way out."

"Great what Tree?" Luigi asked in confusion.

"The Great Deku Tree is our father," the girl explained. "He looks after us and protects us. He's really nice, too. Oh! Sorry, my name is Saria! What's yours?"

"Uh… Luigi."

Saria nodded and waved for him to follow. "Be careful of Mad Scrubs, though. That's why I have this!" She proudly held up the stick she poked Luigi with earlier and a wooden shield with a strange pattern.

Luigi couldn't help but be impressed by Saria's explorer's attitude. He still didn't think it was safe for a young girl to go through a forest with a stick as her defense, though. Saria looked ahead and pointed, "There's one now!"

Luigi looked where Saria pointed and saw a bush in a pile of grass. The bush shifted and moved before revealing a plant-like creature wearing the bush like a straw hat. Its face was wooden and its eyes glowed amber. It didn't have a conventional mouth, but it did have a tube-like protrusion where its mouth should've been. Its eyes glared and it took a breath.

"Watch this, mister Luigi! This is how you fight a Mad Scrub!" She slapped the stick on the ground, enraging the plant creature, causing it to shoot a seed at her. Then Saria raised her shield and the seed bounced off of it, returning to hit the Scrub in the face. After it was hit, it ran around in a panic, Saria chasing after it. After she thwacked it on the head with the stick, it was knocked out.

Luigi nodded, the monsters around here seemed a little more complicated to take down than the ones back at the Mushroom Kingdom. He noticed another bush right next to him that looked like the other one. He pointed it out and asked why it wasn't attacking.

The fairy chimed in, "Oh, Mad Scrubs like attacking, but they're pretty cowardly. They hide in the grass if anybody's nearby. The brush is so thick no sword can cut it."

"Hmm… If they're only vulnerable outside of their grass…" He rolled up his left sleeve and grabbed the part of the bush where the leaves bundled up. He heard the creature squeak in surprise and he started pulling. It seemed to be trying to burrow deeper, but Luigi grabbed it with his other hand and started pulling with his back too.

'C'mon, Weegie, think of it as a giant turnip!'

The bush started lifting up, and the Mad Scrub was kicking as it was pulled out of its burrow. Luigi held it over his head as it tried to squirm out of his grip. Saria was amazed, "Wow! Quick, mister, toss it over here!" She dropped the shield and held the stick like a bat. Luigi laughed and tossed the Mad Scrub, allowing Saria to hit it and send it rolling as it was knocked out.

As they continued, now in the bulk of the Lost Woods, Saria spoke up as she led Luigi, "Are all adults that strong?"

Luigi thought about it. He didn't know much about wherever he was, so he didn't want to make any promises to a kid. Thinking it through, he said, "A few are, where I come from. We have some monsters too, so they protect others."

Saria looked at him with wide eyes, "So you're a hero?"

Luigi's insecurities reared their head, "Sort of, really, it's my brother who's a hero, I just tag along to help when I can every once in a while. 'Hero' would be a bit of a stretch…"

Saria tilted her head, "But you could be a hero if you tried, couldn't you?"

Luigi smiled, "Well, I like to think so…"

The fairy flew backwards in front of him, "So where _do _you come from, Luigi? You're not from here, obviously, there are no adults in Kokiri Forest."

"That's a little complicated…" Luigi said. "You probably won't know where I come from; it's called the Mushroom Kingdom." At Saria's confused look, he continued, "See, I was at my home, about to head to bed, when my clock started going crazy. The last thing I remember is getting grabbed by somebody by my shoulder, and then I blacked out and woke up with Saria poking me with a stick."

"So, you don't know how you got from your home, here to the Lost Woods?" The fairy asked.

Luigi shook his head, "It's a safe bet that I don't know what world I'm in. I've never heard of 'Mad Scrubs' or 'Stalfos'."

Saria pointed at a tunnel that was similar to a hollow log, "The Great Deku Tree might be able to answer some of your questions. Here we are at Kokiri Forest."

Luigi looked around and saw a village of tree houses. Several children dressed similarly to Saria were running around, and they all had fairies following after them. Luigi noticed the fairies and asked Saria about it.

"Oh, all Kokiri have fairy guides to teach them and protect them. Well, my friend Link hasn't gotten his yet, but I'm sure he will!" Saria stated, full of hope.

Before I could ask who Link was, Saria's fairy cut in, "No time for tangents, Saria! Weren't we going to see the Great Deku Tree?"

The trio started moving through the village towards another path, but as they made their way, of course Luigi drew stares from the other kids. Luigi was almost twice the height of everybody there, after all. They weren't sure what to make of him, and most pretended to be doing something else when he glanced at them, so they wouldn't be caught staring. Luigi found it funny that, while he didn't know precisely how long these children had been children, they had the same stealth capabilities as children. He could see them staring out of the corner of his eye, and they only looked away when he started turning his head.

As they continued towards the path, Luigi noticed another child standing guard there with a fairy floating beside him. He was looking at Luigi in particular with a distrustful look. Saria didn't seem fazed and said, "Mido, I need to see the Great Deku Tree."

Mido crossed his arms, "Why do you have _that_ with you? Why did you bring him to our village? He shouldn't be allowed to see the Great Deku Tree; he'll only bring trouble."

Saria's fairy moved forward, "Well if you want him gone safely, then the Great Deku Tree has to show him a way out. You know normal people can't navigate the forest."

"So?" Mido asked.

Luigi decided to cut in, "Look, Mido, was it? I want to get home as much as you seem to want me gone, so how about you just let me through and I'll be out of your hair, one-two-three?"

Mido seemed to think about it, but he made a "tch" sound and stepped aside. "If anything happens, I'm holding you responsible, adult."

After he let them through, Luigi asked, "Mido seems very… protective."

Saria cut in, "He just gets paranoid about anybody he doesn't know, and even with some he does know."

"I think he was trying to be extra intimidating because he's not the biggest one here, now," Saria's fairy snickered.

Up ahead, there were blue carnivorous plants that Saria identified to Luigi as Deku Baba. "Just keep out of their reach and you'll be fine," she said as she sidestepped one of them trying to bite her. Luigi kept plenty of distance between him and the plants; he doubted being bitten by them was any more pleasant than by Piranha Plants.

Soon, they reached the end of the path, and Luigi saw the most massive tree he'd ever laid eyes on. Also, this tree had a face carved into it, and quite a solemn one at that. If he ever thought he'd see a wise-looking tree, this one would be a prime example. He nearly jumped when he heard an elderly voice say, "Saria, my child, what brings you here? Have you come for a story?"

Saria shook her head, "I found Mr. Luigi right here in the Lost Woods. I think he's an adult and he seems very lost. I was wondering if you could help him."

The tree's face didn't change, but Luigi could somehow _feel_ that his gaze was on him now. He bowed his head and tried to keep the shaking to a minimum. "I-I'm not sure where I am, or how I got into this forest, but… if you have a way for me to get home, I'd like to hear it."

Saria chimed in, "He says he's from the kingdom of Mushroom."

"Er, well, the Mushroom Kingdom…" Luigi corrected as the Great Deku Tree remained silent in apparent thought.

At length, he said, "I have never heard of such a kingdom, and your friend, Luigi, does not appear to be Hylian. I believe we may be seeing the Goddess' actions at work. As such, I believe it would be best if he stayed here in Kokiri forest with us until we receive a sign that he is needed elsewhere. I'll make sure the forest doesn't try to make him wander endlessly, so, Luigi, allow me to be the first to welcome you to stay here."

Luigi felt his hopes deflate. With all that he heard, it was a pretty safe bet that he wasn't even in the same world as the Mushroom Kingdom. It was good that he had a place to stay, but he had been hoping for a way back home. He always kept some power-ups and coins in his pockets in case he had to leave in a hurry, but the coins wouldn't be much good in a foreign world, and he figured he should save the power-ups for an emergency.

Saria tapped him on the shoulder, "Well, if you're going to stay with us, I should introduce you to everybody before we find a place for you to stay."

"I've already taken care of the location," the Great Deku Tree interjected. "All that's left is to get him situated with a bed and other things he might need."

Saria's fairy looked at Luigi, "We might want to tell the woodworker to make it extra large."

Luigi sighed at what he was sure would be a very tiring few hours.

* * *

Luigi was right. Practically every child except Mido was buzzing with questions for him since he was from outside the forest. He explained that he didn't know anything about outside Kokiri Forest, since he woke up in the Lost Woods that morning. He decided to leave out that he was from another world. He didn't think he wanted that kind of attention.

The children were a bit let down about that, and Luigi couldn't help but make a compromise. He would tell them all about where he was from, the Mushroom Kingdom, as soon as he was situated. The Kokiri were elated about that, and they pointed out where he would be living.

"The Great Deku Tree grew it just a few minutes ago!" a young boy said.

Luigi looked and saw a hollow wooden building that looked like it was made from tree roots that knitted over each other and tied at the top. It was a bit crudely made, but it would do. Most of the children left after they weren't going to hear a story, but four stayed behind. One girl who had slightly longer and lighter green hair than Saria and three identical brothers who each had almost orange-like strawberry blond hair. Saria introduced him to them, "Everyone, this is Mr. Luigi. Mr. Luigi, this is Fado, you've met Mido, and these three are the Know-it-All Brothers, if you have a question about anything around the forest, you can ask them."

As Luigi nodded, Saria looked around the village, "My friend Link isn't around. He sleeps the day away if nobody comes to wake him up. I'll bring him over tomorrow after we set up your home here."

Luigi looked around at the curious but friendly faces, and then at the root house he'd be staying at. He let out a sigh before smiling. If he was going to stay here for a while, there was no point in isolating himself. He gave a slight bow and said, "It's nice to meet you all. I hope to get along with you."

* * *

The rest of the day was spent with Luigi visiting the woodworkers asking for a bed. They said that it cost 100 "Rupees" (he guessed that was this world's currency), but they said that they'd consider it an IOU since he had the Great Deku Tree's permission to stay. They helped him move it to his home (for an extra 15 Rupees) and gave Luigi a mattress and blanket for free.

Luigi asked one of the Know-it-All Brothers about Rupees, and the young kid gave a slight laugh as he waved his hand, "Oh, Rupees are everywhere in the world. Only us kids of the forest know this, but Rupees grow naturally in wild grass and rocks. Just cut, pluck or smash in the rocks' case, and you can find some quick money. Anyway, you might want to learn the colors."

Luigi paid close attention as the Kokiri explained the color system of Rupees. Deciding that he'd start paying back that IOU tomorrow, he went back to his temporary home and plopped down on his bed. Feeling something uncomfortable in his pockets, he decided to empty them.

'Let's see…' he thought as he turned out his pockets and put each item on the ground next to his bed. This took a bit of time, as the Mario Brothers' overalls were notorious for having very deep pockets to hold items. 'About 20 gold coins in my coin bag, 2 Super Mushrooms, a Fire Flower, one Cape Feather, and…' He felt the last object in his pocket and decided to keep that one in. It was his ultimate last resort, and he would prefer to have it on him if worst came to worst.

Patting his right pocket for reassurance, he took off his shoes, curled up on his bed and pulled the blanket up.

He looked out a crack in the roots that allowed a view of the outside, and he looked at the night sky. Before he went to sleep, he wondered what Mario was up to.

* * *

**Yay! First chapter in the main part of the story! It was mostly exposition-y, but that's how most chapters roll. Also, a cover for the story! It's the first time that I've drawn a cover for one of my stories, since all I have for digital drawing is MS Paint… Anyway, hope you all liked the chapter. Please leave a review with your thoughts. Peace!**

**-AJ 203**


	3. Chapter 2: Trouble Brewing

Chapter 2: Trouble Brewing

The next morning saw Luigi up early, not because the window-like gap in the roots faced towards the east, allowing the rising sun to shine right through it. Disturbed by the light, he turned around, trying to ignore it. No, what woke him up is what happened next.

"Mr. Luigi!"

Luigi grumbled as he heard his name being called. He got up, forgetting about his shoes as he stepped onto the grass on the ground, towards the doorway. Rubbing his eyes, Luigi looked out the doorway to see about 5 Kokiri children gathered at his door, including Fado and one of the Know-it-All Brothers. She was the one who had called out to him.

One of the other Kokiri boys asked, "Can we hear a story, Mr. Luigi?"

"Yeah, I'd love to hear about your homeland and tell my brothers about it!" the Know-it-All Kokiri added.

Luigi smiled at their enthusiasm, and said, "All right, just give me a moment to get my shoes on."

After retrieving his shoes, Luigi looked around and found a reasonably open patch of grass. After he sat down, the children gathered around and sat in front of him. Right as he was about to start, another voice called out.

"Wait! Mr. Luigi!" He looked and saw that Saria was on her way with a child that Luigi hadn't seen yesterday. He had straw-colored blond hair and the same clothes as the other Kokiri. When the two of them arrived, Saria gestured with her hand towards the boy. "This is my friend, Link. I told you about him, yesterday."

Luigi nodded, "Nice to meet you, Link."

Link nodded back, and didn't say anything else. Luigi guessed that he was a boy of few words, the same as Mario was, so he didn't press the issue. Instead, he gestured towards the other Kokiri, and said, "I was about to tell a story about my home, do you two want to hear?"

Both of them nodded, and Saria said, "Sure!" They found a spot, and Luigi spent the next couple of hours talking about the Mushroom Kingdom, after a few anecdotes about his personal experiences regarding the Mushroom Kingdom itself, he got to talking about the other lands. Desert Land, Sky Land, Ice Land, and all the others. When he got to the Dark Land, he spun a little yarn about the evil King Bowser who resided there that would kidnap the fair princess who ruled the Mushroom Kingdom and the hero that would travel across eight lands to save her.

"Was this hero strong, tall and handsome?" one of the Kokiri girls asked.

Luigi laughed, "Not so much on the 'tall' part, but he's strong. But the most important thing about being a hero isn't power. Anybody can have power, good or bad. What makes a hero is the courage to do the right thing, even if it's dangerous and you're scared. Other than that, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom isn't that different from you or me."

"Do you know the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mr. Luigi?" the Know-it-All Brother asked.

Luigi nodded, "He's my big brother."

There was a bit of buzz after that, but it quickly died down. Luigi chalked it up to the Kokiri not actually being from the Mushroom Kingdom, so Mario's name wouldn't have as much impact. After most of the children dispersed, Fado told him about some of the legends of Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods.

"People who get lost in the Lost Woods become Stalfos." Then she smiled, "You were really lucky that Saria found you when she did!"

Luigi tilted his head and asked, "I've heard that word before, Stalfos, and I've been meaning to ask. What's a Stalfos?"

Fado made a face that was supposed to be scary, but only made her look cute with her child features, "A cursed skeleton doomed to wander the night, forever…"

Despite her poor attempt at a scary face, Luigi was plenty scared as he imagined being a skeleton roaming aimlessly around the Lost Woods in his tattered clothes. "Yeah…" Luigi muttered. "Sure was lucky…" At that point, Luigi decided never to go into the Lost Woods if he could help it.

Once Luigi had some time to himself, he went around the village, plucking grass and collecting the Rupees that fell out. A few hours of doing this got him about 25 Rupees. He put them in his left pocket where he used to keep his coins. After a while, his stomach growled and he realized that he hadn't eaten since he got here. He'd been so busy with everything else that he didn't notice.

Luigi took a glance around the village and saw something that looked like a market. When he went inside, they were selling something called "Kokiri Cakes" at five Rupees for a case. He paid with five green Rupees and ate them on his way to make his payment to the woodworkers.

As Luigi was walking around, he got the feeling that somebody was following him. He turned and saw one of the kids hiding in some grass a short distance away. It was a good effort, but his hat was sticking out over the short grass. He moved towards the grass, but not too close and called out lightly, "Hey, you don't have to hide. If you have something you want to ask me, I'm all ears."

The grass rustled and a blond kid came up from the grass. Unlike the other Kokiri, he didn't have a fairy with him. Luigi remembered him from earlier today. He was Link, Saria's friend.

"Link, right? Do you need something?" Luigi asked.

Link shook his head and took a step back.

Luigi waved his hand, "It's no trouble if you do. What is it?"

Link looked down and said, "I… saw you in a dream." He pulled a block of wood out of his tunic and held it out to Luigi. When Luigi looked closer, he saw an image of a castle on fire, two figures on horseback in the distance. There were two figures standing by the entrance to the castle, along with a fairy, one of the figures notably taller than the other. What was unsettling was the larger figure on horseback that loomed over the trio. Luigi gave a slight chuckle, "Uh… It's probably a coincidence. You've met me just today, how could you be having a nightmare with me in it?"

Link shook his head, "You had the same hat."

Luigi stood up straight again, "Okay, well, I'm sure that it's nothing. Some people have dreams about people they meet later."

Link could tell that Luigi was unsettled by the image, so he put it away and decided to leave it at that. He knew what he saw, though, and he didn't like it. He looked up at Luigi and said, "Please, just stay here in the forest. Don't leave."

Luigi raised an eyebrow, "Where would I go? I'm not sure if I could find another place to live. What exactly happened in this dream?"

Link just shook his head and ran off, leaving Luigi wondering what he seemed to be scared about.

* * *

That night, as everybody was sleeping, the Great Deku Tree was keeping watch over the forest when he felt a malevolent presence pushing against his defenses. As the dawn approached, his own body seized up as he felt something claw at his insides. He called out for one of the fairies.

"Navi… Navi, where are you? Come here…"

A light blue fairy flew in front of him, and the Great Deku Tree spoke to her. "I fear that the evil that has been stirring has made its way here… Do you feel it? They are readying to attack our land of Hyrule. I've ensured that this forest has remained standing as a barrier to repel evil, but this tremendous power… My power pales in comparison. It is time for Link to begin his journey… The boy without a fairy; bring him here! I do not have much time… Fly swiftly!"

Navi nodded and took off, flying toward the village with the rising sun. As she left, the Great Deku Tree pondered for a bit. Perhaps… Yes, he would call for him too. Perhaps this was the reason that the Goddesses brought him here.

* * *

_"__Luigi…"_

Luigi stirred in his sleep for a moment, disturbed by the voice. Wait, didn't he know that voice? It called more insistently.

_"__Luigi…!"_

Luigi sat up in his bed and looked around. Nobody was around, but he could have sworn that he had heard something.

_"__Luigi… It's the Great Deku Tree… I'm talking through my roots. I need you to visit me at once. Link will be there too."_

Luigi was surprised, but he answered anyway, "O-okay… I'll be right over." He jumped out of his bed and put his shoes on. Right before he stepped out of the door, a bad feeling gnawed at the back of his mind. Something about the Great Deku Tree's urgent tone… Turning around, Luigi picked up his power-ups and put them into his pocket. As he jogged, he spotted Link leaving his house as well. Saria was waving at him from the bottom of the ladder to his tree house. One thing that Luigi immediately noticed was that Link had a light-blue fairy flying next to him now.

Luigi made his way towards the path to the Great Deku Tree. Mido stood guard there as usual, and Luigi sighed as he moved to stand in his way.

"Look, Mido, the Great Deku Tree asked to see me. Please let me through."

Mido sneered, "Hmph, what can you do, adult? You don't even have a shield or sword."

"I'm a fist fighter," Luigi patiently replied. "I don't need a sword or shield."

"Really?" Mido challenged. He pulled out a Deku Stick and lunged towards Luigi, "Then how about this?!"

While it was supposed to be a surprise attack, Luigi simply caught the stick and held Mido away, using his height to his advantage. Mido tried a few punches and kicks, but none of them even came close to hitting Luigi.

Luigi let out a sigh and asked again, "Can you just let me through? The Great Deku Tree said it was really important." Mido pushed away and huffed while he crossed his arms and took a step to the side.

Luigi made his way down the path, weaving around the Deku Babas. Soon, he made his way to the Great Deku Tree's meadow, and he gave a short bow. "You called for me?"

"Yes…" the wise tree replied. "I have something to tell both you and Link, as soon as he gets here as well…"

Soon enough, there was the sound of a screech, and Link came into the clearing holding three Deku Sticks in his right hand. He also had a wooden shield strapped to his back and a short sword in his left hand. The fairy called out, "Great Deku Tree! We're- Who's this?"

"Navi… you have returned… Link… Welcome…" The Great Deku Tree said with a strained voice. Luigi's eyebrows furrowed with concern. Was something wrong with the Great Deku Tree?

"Listen well, both of you… to what I am about to tell you… Link, you have been plagued with nightmares in the past few days… have you not?"

Link seemed shocked, but he nodded.

The Great Deku Tree continued, wearily, "As the servants of evil grow stronger, an evil climate is created which gives nightmares to those sensitive to it…"

Luigi felt the Great Deku Tree's gaze fall on him, "And you, Luigi… I believe… that you being brought here might've been for this purpose…"

"Both of you… The time has come to test your courage… I have been cursed… I need you two to seek the source and break it… Do you have the courage to undertake this course?"

Link nodded immediately, and Luigi nodded, even though he was scared. He owed the wise tree for welcoming him to the forest, and if he could help, he wanted to do everything that he could.

The Great Deku Tree's mouth opened, revealing an entrance large enough for them to enter. His mouth remained open and unmoving as he said, "Then enter, Link, Luigi, and Navi… Navi the fairy… You must aid these two… Link and Luigi… When Navi speaks, listen well to her words of wisdom…"

Link and Luigi both nodded, and then looked at each other. Navi flew between them, "So who exactly are you? Why is an adult in Kokiri Forest?"

As the trio moved forward, Luigi answered, "My name's Luigi. I'm not from around here, and I'd like to know why I'm here myself…"

Link couldn't fight his growing unease. He couldn't say no to a request from the Deku Tree as a Kokiri, but he really hoped that Luigi would stay behind after this trial. Link had experienced the same dream again last night.

He shook his head and tried to focus. After this, he would convince Luigi to stay here in Kokiri Forest, so that the horrible event he saw never became a reality.

* * *

**Second chapter! All right! Now that we're getting into battling soon, I should explain a few things. There will be health with Link and Luigi, but the Heart Containers are pretty much null and void. The two of them will simply "grow stronger" as they go along their journey and experiences, having more endurance or "health" as they go along.**

**That's all I have to say on the matter for now. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a review or PM me. But for now, I think I'll be working on the next chapter of For the Mission. See you when I (metaphorically) see you!**

**-AJ 203**


	4. Author's Apology

**I'm sorry to those who came here expecting an update, but my inspiration for this story has temporarily run dry. When I started this story, I had a good idea of where I wanted to go with it later, but I seem to have become stumped on how to approach that "later." By no means am I dropping the story, and let me tell you, there are no two words that I hate to see on a story more than "on hiatus," but I feel that maybe if I progress on, or even finish one of my other stories, it'll free up my time and brain space to think up ideas for this one. The fact of the matter is that, currently, I have more ideas for my other stories than for this one, so I'm going to try and capitalize to finish at least one of them sooner.**

**Again, I apologize to the followers and fave-ers of this story for the hold-up, but I feel that this would be the best in the long run. Once I get a handle on, not where, but ****how**** to go from here in The Legend of L, I'll jump right back on it.**

**See you when I see you,**

**-AJ 203**


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